TOMMY DAWSON
World Tour
Supported by
Seth Young
Gates: 7 p.m.
The arena crowd roared when Seth played the first chord of his latest single that was still sitting at number 1 on the country Billboard chart.
The track had a killer opening sequence and Seth loved to play it. Rosalie loved to hear it. As she stood in the wings of the stage, her heart rate soared when Billy brought in the bassline then Frankie kicked up the beat on the electric guitar.
As Seth’s newest session player pummelled the drums and Seth began to sing, Rosalie could see that he was in his element. He had never needed or expected the fame he had received and when they were lying next to each other in bed, or sharing breakfast over the view of Central Park from Rosalie’s – their – apartment, Seth was still just the guy who wore scruffy boots and lumberjack shirts. And though Rosalie had managed to get him in a suit once or twice in their six months together, actually, he had been a bigger influence on Rosalie’s style. She loved that she could tap her feet in the sneakers she wore with her jeans and T-shirt without feeling any pain at all. And now that she was busy with her interior design business, she was on her feet a lot. These days, heels were reserved for awards events and fancy dinners with Seth or her best friends, only.
Tonight was the last show of Tommy’s world tour. Since Tommy had decided to buy Jay’s share of Sanfia Records and bring Andrea back to the label to produce again – the way things used to be, the way she loved – Tommy, Andrea and Sofia had worked hard as a team to make Seth a star. Though Seth may have been the supporting act, the combination of Tommy and Seth had led to sell-out concerts on every night of the tour. And they were all planning to go out on a high, playing with more energy than ever for their home crowd in New York.
Seth sang about the woman he loved, how her hips could wreak havoc on a man, how her mind was as genius as it was a pain in the ass, how only a superhero could handle her. And he sang with a smile. A smile that filled Rosalie’s heart because just nights ago, he had told her, ‘If someone had asked me if I would have ever smiled again when I’d left the services and lost my fiancée, I would have said no. Yet, here I am, one year after meeting a girl I had misunderstood entirely, feeling like I hold the world in my hands. And damn it, you make me smile every day, Ros.’
The guys kicked into the chorus and Seth jogged to Billy, singing through his headset as he went, then they rocked out like they had never rocked out before, as if no one was watching, like they were young kids with the whole world to live for.
Rosalie swung an arm around Sofia’s shoulders where she stood beside her and they sang out the song together – not at all pitchy – swinging their hips and their hair.
Because that was how Seth had made Rosalie feel, like she was just a girl, loved and in love, with the whole world to live for.
Seth ended the set as he always did, taking a beat to soak up the crowd and the atmosphere. Forever humble. His most admirable trait.
Then he glanced to the side of the stage and his eyes met Rosalie’s. He winked and told her through his microphone. ‘I love you.’
Andrea clapped and watched as Tommy congratulated Seth and the guys when they came backstage, sweating and on a high.
Then Tommy walked back to the dressing room sofa where he had been sitting with Andrea. He leant down and kissed her temple, then kissed her rounded stomach.
‘There’s nothing quite like that feeling of coming off stage, the audience screaming your name and chanting for more,’ Tommy told her recently as they shopped for a car seat and a pushchair. ‘But there are other incredible feelings too. Like feeling your baby kick for the first time in the tummy of the woman you love.’
‘Knock ’em dead,’ Andi said, as she always did before he went on stage.
‘Since you told me to,’ he replied with a cheeky grin, making her smile. ‘Daddy will be back soon, kid,’ he directed to her bump.
Some things hadn’t changed about Tommy – he was cheeky, a great musician and an incredible lover. Other things had changed in the best way – he was a wonderful husband, already a loving father, a fantastic producer alongside Andrea and Sofia, and, it turned out, quite happy to give up on four a.m. parties every night.
Making Andi happy had become his favourite thing to do. His purpose in life, he said. She had become his muse, when they were making music together in the studio, and when they were making love together at home, so he said. For Andrea, Tommy, her unborn child, Sofia, Hannah and Rosalie, were her whole world. Making music again, the way she had for so many years, back with her sister and now her husband, completed the picture of her imperfectly perfect life. She had never felt happier or more complete.
Tommy’s entourage led him into the corridor of VIP fans as his band was already warming up the crowd. Andrea watched on a television monitor as he was hooked up to a microphone stage-side, and as he closed his eyes, rolled his neck from side to side, then stepped onto the stage, where he was deafened by a packed-full arena.
Tommy the rock star belonged to his fans for two hours, then Tommy Dawson would be all hers again.
Hannah could tell from Rod’s body language that he was batting back wisecracks, no doubt football related, with Billy and Frankie at the small bar that had been set up in the communal dressing room.
‘Are you boys talking football?’ she asked, leaving the sofa where she had been sitting next to Sofia and crossing the room.
‘No, ma’am,’ Billy said between swigs of beer as Rod draped an arm around Hannah’s shoulders. ‘I was relaying a story of a delightful blonde with really big boobs, whom I believe is called Belinda, who threw some very pretty panties at me on stage.’
Hannah laughed. ‘You know sex addiction is a real thing, Billy.’
‘I’ve heard it’s only a problem when you’re not having it,’ he countered with a wink, making Hannah laugh harder as she rolled her eyes.
‘Could one of you gents do the honours?’ asked Rosalie as she appeared in the middle of the group holding a chilled bottle of champagne.
‘Give it here,’ Rod said.
He popped the cork with too much vigour and the fizz started to bubble out of the top.
‘Don’t waste that!’ Hannah said, thrusting a glass under the falling bubbles.
‘That’s my girl,’ Rod said. ‘Not one to waste the good stuff.’
He pinched Hannah’s butt, receiving a feisty growl in return and welcoming it, Hannah could tell from his boyish grin.
Armed with a glass of champagne, Hannah walked into his arms, holding his chin firmly between her fingers and wiggling it from side to side, the way she did with the kids.
‘Can’t you ever behave yourself?’ she asked him.
He looked her up and down, unashamedly, scrutinising her legs in unusually high heels and the advantage of her cleavage in the fitted black number she was wearing to take full advantage of a child-free date night.
‘When my woman is looking like this? No chance.’
She pouted playfully and wiggled her ass as she went back to the other side of the room with Rosalie, moving to sit on the two leather sofas where Andrea and Sofia were already seated.
Hannah had been right to call Rod out on his flaws last year. Since they finally started to really talk to each other, Rod had been doing everything to show her that he would try never to take her for granted again. He said he wanted her to have more in her life than him and the kids. Whatever made her happy. Because when he saw people failing in marriages around him, he refused to be one of them.
He slipped sometimes. Feet on the furniture, beer bottles on the coffee table and, yeah, sometimes he still forgot to leave the toilet seat the eff down.
But Hannah was happy with his progress and happier generally. She was working as a band manager, spending two days a week in the city and three days working from home. The kids were doing great. Luke had even started college and was playing ball.
Her life with Rod was as hot, as entertaining and as good as it ever had been.
Rod was her forever guy and Hannah was his forever girl.
And she smiled at her man as she took her seat as one of three best friends and their little sister.
Some things would never change and she didn’t ever want them to.